boost

Think of the word boost as meaning "help up." Maybe you need a boost getting over a fence (hmm — are you sneaking in or sneaking out?), or maybe you are feeling low and need to boost your spirits — chocolate, anyone?

Sometimes words appear that really don't have any clear origins. Boost is one of those words, but it's a fun word, and it's thought that maybe it has some connection to boose, a Scots dialect word that carries the idea of a push. A slang meaning of the word is to sneakily steal, like shoplifting. You gave your cousin a boost into the window, not knowing he was planning on boosting some sneakers.

Definitions of boost
1

v increase

Synonyms:
hike, hike up
Type of:
bring up, elevate, get up, lift, raise
raise from a lower to a higher position

v increase or raise

“boost the voltage in an electrical circuit”
Synonyms:
advance, supercharge
Type of:
increase
make bigger or more

v push or shove upward, as if from below or behind

“The singer had to be boosted onto the stage by a special contraption”
Type of:
thrust
push forcefully

v give a boost to; be beneficial to

“The tax cut will boost the economy”
Type of:
increase
make bigger or more

v contribute to the progress or growth of

Synonyms:
advance, encourage, further, promote
Types:
show 7 types...
hide 7 types...
connive at, wink at
give one's silent approval to
foster, further
promote the growth of
spur
incite or stimulate
help
contribute to the furtherance of
carry
take further or advance
feed
support or promote
conduce, contribute, lead
be conducive to
Type of:
back up, support
give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to

n an increase in cost

Synonyms:
cost increase, hike, rise
Type of:
increase, increment
the amount by which something increases

n the act of giving a push

“he gave her a boost over the fence”
Type of:
push, pushing
the act of applying force in order to move something away

n the act of giving hope or support to someone

Synonyms:
encouragement
Types:
morale booster, morale building
anything that serves to increase morale
Type of:
aid, assist, assistance, help
the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

Sign up, it's free!

Whether you're a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, Vocabulary.com can put you on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.